Page 138 of Cautious Love

“Was it quiet at the diner? No issues?”

“No,” she rasps.

“Are you giving me the silent treatment because I told you I love you?”

She keeps her eyes on the plate.

“I have a sister, Shy. This isn’t the first time I’ve been given the silent treatment, and apparently, not the last.”

Her eyes flick to mine, and her lips twitch. I can see all the words she’s locking up tight behind them.

“If you don’t want this Shiloh, just tell me,” I rasp.

That makes her look up.

I puff out a breath, nodding to myself. “Alright, then.”

The ring on my finger feels a lot heavier than it should.

I take my plate to the sink and start on the dishes. Love isn’t always a two-way street. Sometimes it’s a narrow one-way, and I guess I’ve been on the road by myself the whole time. Maybe I work too much, maybe I should have gone about things differently. Once we gave in, everything moved quickly. I thought I was doing right by her, but it’s clear to me I wasn’t.

She runs out of the kitchen, ignoring Dozer, and closes herself off from me. A minute later, I hear music.

My hands shake in the sudsy water, and I focus on cleaning and putting away.

When I’m done, I take the dog out one more time. He whines a little, and I put him in his kennel. He circles his bed and drops into it, exhausted from the eventful day.

I’ve never loved a woman the way I love her. Sure, I love my mom and my sister. I know what it means to love. My parents have always been an example to me. One that I have always wanted, but have been willing to wait for. Good things take time. I know that, and mygreatthing walked through my front door.

I think what Shiloh and I have could be a forever.

I’m patient. I can wait for her to get there because she needs the space and time. It never crossed my mind that she had no intention of getting there, or maybe she wanted to try it and found me lacking.

The music finally stops, and now the silence feels deafening.

Lawrence gave me the heads-up that they were transporting John, Connor, and Elise tonight. Which helps, but it also puts me even more on edge. Quiet isn’t always good.

I fluff my pillow and close my eyes, knowing I’m not going to get any sleep, but I’m exhausted, and I have people relying on me to be at my best. My inadequacies at home cannot affect my work, not when there are lives on the line.

Something crashes outside, and it didn’t sound like someone throwing away trash. I launch out of bed, grabbing my firearm. I don’t think Grey is dumb enough to come back here, but I won’t put it past him. Or it could be one of Kensington’s other men.

My room faces the street. I carefully pull the blind, looking up and down the street. No one is outside, from what I can tell. Sneaking out of my bedroom, I hurry out the back door in my boxers. I probably should have called the station before doing this.

Checking my corners, I come around the side of the house towards the street, expecting to find someone, but there’s nothing.

I force my breathing to steady and focus.

Nothing.

Circling the house again, I check my neighbors, and it’s quiet. It could have been anything, oranyone.I’ve never felt the need to get cameras until now.

Grumbling to myself, I slip back into the house and get back in bed, taking deep breaths to calm down.

Then my bedroom door opens and I jolt up. Adrenaline is still coursing through my veins as Shiloh stands there.

“Are you okay?” I ask her.

“Yeah, but did you hear that?” she asks.